


Hovering over a volcano

by okelay



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 19:45:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2162862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okelay/pseuds/okelay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world ends, Neptune is destroyed, but Dick and Cassidy somehow survive. they choose to leave, start over and try to actually be brothers. to find out who they are after everything they know is gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hovering over a volcano

  
The town was a disaster,more than half its people were  missing or dead. given Neptune's current state it seemed best to get out of town and try your luck elsewhere. 

At least that was Dick and Cassidy's view. the town was dying and they didn't have any reason to stay. their few friends left were to busy to notice their absence. They took the bare minimum, just a small backpack filled with clothes and food and a few valuables. Cassidy  did write a note for Mac and put it on his favorite book, which he left on her bed. he apologised for leaving without a goodbye, and told her how he hoped to see her again one day, even if it was just to she could slap him for being stupid. Dick grabbed some stuff he knew Logan would like and hid it so it wouldn't be looted. it might be weeks before he and Veronica came around and their house might be empty by them. he left a simple note saying "take care" with them.

The two brothers ran for weeks, stopping only to sleep, trying to put as much distance as possible without them and the town they left behind. At first they were surprised by the landscape of destruction  but it became so common they got used to it.They found others on the road. mostly groups, nakamas of kids formed after they'd lost their families.a few went on their own but most of them didn't last long that way. Cassidy remember what he'd read once, that during hard time it was the pack,not the lone wolf,that survived.  
  
One day they were lucky enough to find a motorcycle with a full tank. it got them through many miles. they helped some people and finally gave it to some who needed it more than them.They both found themselves growing and changing. trying to adapt to survive. in Dick's case, fighting his very nature.  
  
  
A very hot day they passed a river and agreed to stop and take a break. Cassidy wanted to swim. he missed it and it had been weeks since they last time they bathed.  
Dick agreed to stop but he had grown cautious so he told him they'd stop somewhere with some shelter and no people. They found a bridge covered in bushes they could use for cover and hid their backpacks and clothes under it. Cassidy wanted nothing more than to dive but he knew it could attract attention so he didn't. He went deep underwater, enjoying the calm the water always gave him. after a minute or two he started to swim, looking at the trash left in the river bottom. he thought he saw a skull at one place but didn't go and check.  
  
  
He went up to tell Dick about what he'd seen but he wasn't paying attention, he was busy trying to spy on some people who'd arrived at the other side of the bridge. he was being strangely serious. and worried,but before he could ask what was wrong, Dick's expression changed and it scared Cassidy. Dick turned around and went to him, shaking,and  told him to hide and not to come out until he heard his signal.to not let himself be seen. "be careful" were his brother's last words before he went back into the water.

Cassidy began to swim, trying to find a place with some cover to see what was going on. he could hold his breath for several minutes and had learned to be very stealth so he barely made a ripple in the water. moving slowly,he barely dared to raise his head above water, there was not enough cover anywhere and the sun was too bright,so he couldn't see anyway. but when he turned around to go back to the bridge he saw his brother wasn't there anymore.  
He had to go back, it was the best place to hide anyway, but before getting out, he stayed there in silence for a few minutes, hearing the sounds around him. it was very calm. there didn't seem to be anyone alive around. he got out and hid under the bridge. he laid on the grass and took a look around. no one. he sat there, worried, wondering about what had happened. the temperature began to drop and he realised a good long while had passed. the sun was going down.

He got back on the water to swim to the other shore, to get dressed and figure out a game plan,but found nothing. the place was clean. that's when he began to worry. the nights were getting cold and he wasn't sure he'd survive without shelter and wearing only his boxers. he sat down and hid himself between the grass to wait for sunset.better to move in the darkness, he would call too much attention during the day. night had its own dangers,and he would have to move fast and silently, but that was ok, he had experience with that. he never thought he'd be thankful for running away from bullies.

After a while, birds started to fly and sing.Then he heard it. The signal. It was from Before, from an internet group he belonged to. Was he imagining it or had it been real? it was very bird-like.It sounded again. low, barely audible and sounding very much like a bird.he answered it. he hoped it was people he could trust.

Soon, he heard steps, far away at first but coming closer. He stood up but stayed under the bridge and whistled.Several bodies came towards him and one lit a match and made a signal under its light. Cassidy noticed they had see-in-the-dark goggles and made the signal response. One came forward and put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him forward. he couldn't see a damn thing and had no choice but to follow and trust. it was a long andsilent walk. human voices were obvious and dangerous and not used after dark.

The ground changed from grass to stones, soon after  they had entered a cave,and he felt the heat before seeing its light.a few twists later they were inside a big chamber.  
in its center there was a fire, and people sat around it. they must've heard the steps or something cause they all seemed to be waiting. one of his guides said "We found a stray"  
A boy, one of the oldest, Cassidy guessed and one of the few with some stubble, came forward, looking surprised  "Where was he? How did he survive?"  
"Under the bridge" the first boy  said. "he knows the signal and salute" he added. "Okay then." said the apparent leader, moving to Cassidy and offering his hand "I'm Apollo" Cassidy shook his hand, shaking a little "Cassidy" he said "Thanks for the rescue"   
"Welcome to Haven" he said and dismissed the boys  with a hand signal,who left and went to sit by the fire, where Cassidy and Apollo soon followed. "What hapenned to you, Cassidy?" he asked "Why were you out there alone? in your underwear? I don't suppose that's how your day started. you don't look that dirty"  He didn't know what to say, he looked down, choked.  "Trouble" he shrugged "I had someone and things and now I don't. just how it goes now,right?"  Apollo smiled " Sounds familiar." One boy approached with some clothes which he gave to Apollo. "Thanks,Blip" he said and passed them over to Cassidy "you look cold. get dressed, dinner's nearly ready" Cassidy's stomach growled at the idea of food and Apollo smiled "sounds good?" he asked "When was the last time you ate?" he shrugged "I had a stale protein bar this morning" Apollo put a reassuring hand on his shoulder,much like the other kid had done before "Don't worry,we'll get you some real,warm protein soon enough. get dressed"

He got dressed and joined the circle where people were telling stories of what they'd seen during the day. No one had seen Cassidy's brother but they had recovered a couple of abandoned backpacks. after the day's reports they all ate, sharing a couple of plastic cups filled with water and sticks with warm meat. it was delicious. Cassidy hadn't had fresh meat in forever. neither of them had ever managed to hunt anything,so they had mostly survived on ravaging convenience stores. 

After dinner they shared stories. They asked Cassidy if he wanted to share his but he wasn't up to it, still too shell-shocked. but it was nice to hear other's. after a while he began to doze off and one of the kids who had found him outside came over,and took him to their loot. she said her name was Octavia "We take the belongings of those who...disappear. you may have noticed some trouble out in the field today so we had a good haul. you might even find your things" she told him. his and his brother's backpack were there. that was bad. Dick leaving without it, but he didn't want to think about it, he just wanted to sleep. "grab a blanket and pillow and pick a spot, you look knackered" Cassidy hesitated "They're not claimed?" he asked,not wanting to deprive someone else, but she shook her head "don't worry about it" she said.

  
Cassidy took the pillow and blanket to a spot near the fire and the people, he felt a certain need for company. he wanted to hear their voices and feel their warmth. Apollo came over as he was setting up  "I don't know what happened to you" he said, trying to comfort him "or  whom did you lost, but I want you to know that you are safe here. with us. "  
Cassidy nodded. he put his head on the pillow and half-smiled. "you know what's funny?" he told him, getting the feeling he did. "I actually feel safe" it was something he'd forgotten.

  
He closed his eyes and gave in, sure in the knowledge someone else was watching so he could sleep.  
  


 


End file.
